Update Number two!

Hello dear friends! I'm sorry my updates are so few and far between. We only have one day a week that we can get into town and that is often interupted. Alas- I'm in town right now! Horray! Here's what has been going on in warm, sunny Malawi...
We spent a very long very challenging week in the COTN village of Chiwengo last week. It was by far the most stretching time we've had here in Malawi. There is a group of interns that are spending their whole summer in Chiwengo, they are all girls and very sweet and domestic girls. They have spent their summer helping in the long term care homes in Chiwengo. They do chores, lead devotions with the kids, color, bake, cook, clean, carry water... very precious, valueable, domestic things. God is working everywhere and in Chiwengo the work is calm and slow. They spent the summer in their routine when along came 14 Lilongwe interns (me and my team) to mess with their lives for a week. Our team has 5 boys and we are just louder, crazier and have way more energy. We were able to releive the Chiwengo girls of some of their chores giving them free time but in the mean time we just created a lot of choas. Choas that we are used to, thrive off of and need to survive in Lilongwe. Needless to say- there was drama. It was clear God's hand was in dividing which interns would be in Chiwengo and which would be in Lilongwe. After many many meetings to discuss problems, plenty of irritation, and prayers for gentle hearts it was finally time to go to the lake! YES!
After the choas and drama that was our week in Chiwengo all the interns were off to our weekend midsummer retreat at Lake Malawi! The lake is huge and rather ocean like! The water is beautiful, the waves reminded me of San Diego and the sun was great! We spent our time in devotions on the beach. chatting, napping and relaxing. One afternoon we paid some locals to boat us out to a near by island! SO FUN! The boat ride was so pretty and reminded me of mornings on Folsom lake with my dad and andrew... but prettier... with clearer water... and african... At the island my teammates cliff jumped (don't worry mom... I didnt) and we all got to snorkel! it was fun to watch everyone try and many fail horrible freaking out and inhaling water. The fish were cool- mostly brown and blue. Lake Malawi is the 2nd most diverse lake in the world and 85% of the worlds aquarium fish come from it. No mom... I didnt see the cool fish that saves the little fish from danger by letting them swim into it's mouth. Bummer. Alas- we had a blast! We also took a walk down the beach and toured a crocidille farm! COOL! There were thousands of them! It was amazing to see... and a little frightening becuase they're feet from you and separated only by a chain link fence. I won't discuss how they'll end us as purses in London... but it was fun! We also got to see an "aquarium" It wasnt what I expected but it was neat to see how they farm the lake, package and send them all over the world. The lake was relaxing, reenergizing and got me all pumped up to finish this internship strong!
The widows program is going great and it's getting harder and harder to think about leaving them. They are so precious and exemplify such beauty and strength. We are working on creating patterns for them, teaching them basic business stuff, teaching them how to make new products and leading bible studies. We will spend this month preparing them to run their business without any interns to help them and writting proposals for ideals that new interns can take and run with later.
The Flood short term team is here! What a blessing! They are a little taste of home! And as you all well know... people just get me all excited. Tamra, their team leader brought us letters from the Flood staff and some of our friends. They were so encouraging! Just what we needed after such a hard week in Chiwengo! Thanks Adam, Maile and Breanne! You can't even imagine how much they meant! Go figure... I cried. Oh yes... and they brought a ton of american snacks... that made my night!
Right before be left for the lake we ran into Sean, one of the men on staff at Flood Malawi. My church in san Diego, Flood is helping a group here in Malawi who are starting a Flood Malawi! It was SO awesome to see him! It was obvious he was just as excited to see us as we were to see him! Next saturday night the flood interns and the flood short term team will meet up with the Flood malawi team for a brii... a giant malawian bqq with music and dancing! I cant wait!
Well... that's about all... I am loving getting to know the girls Im living with, ministry is great, God is here and He is good! I miss you guys like crazy and I cant wait to see you again!
If you'd like to see some pictures go ahead and check the links on this page (they are on the left) to my friend Dan's Blog and Jeremiahs (they link is called don't join the village) they were able to post pictures. I am also having my friend dan send andrew a mystery picture of me... he says its good... i havent seen it. andrew* will post it with this post. so you guys can see what it looks like over here!
Thank you for your prayers and thoughts... I really can't explain how vital they are to me... it's one of the things that keeps me going over here. I love you guys!
Amanda

*Note from Andrew: I didn't get the picture, so it will remain a mystery.

My first post from Africa!

Greetings from chilly Lilongwe, Malawi! Things are going great! God
blessed us with a simple, easy trip over here- there were no problems!
After a week of acclimation and orientation we started our ministries!
I have to make this email quick because we have little time in town
today- not the mention the internet is wicked slow. So here's a run
down of what my weeks look like here in beautiful Malawi...
Four mornings a week I work with a few other interns in a the widows
ministry in a village called Mtsiliza. The ministry was formed a year
ago to help the 30+ widows who care for their own children and orphans
(most of them at least 6 to 8 kids total) create an income for their
families. They pray, study the bible, sing, knit, crochet, and sew
together. The other interns and I lead Bible studies, teach business
techniques, create patterns and run a store at the COTN camp where we
sell their things to the American short term teams! We also spend one
morning a week in the homes with the widows which has turned into a
super rewarding and really fun time! Yesterday morning I learned how
to mud the floors in their houses (its how they clean-weird but true),
how to make the Malawian staple food, Nsima and a relish with cabbage,
onion and tomato. We also washed dishes. And get this mom- they kept
saying "wow, you know how to cook!" haha... little do they know... we
ate it though- the kids said it was good! So fun!
In the afternoons we either go to Mtsaliza or one of the other COTN
villages and accompany the children as they venture to another village
to do evangelism. Its so fun to watch the kids who are effected by
COTN teach other kids about their God. It's always a fun time to see a
new village, meet some new faces and learn crazy Malawian games!
We are the chosen interns to venture into the village behind our camp,
Njewa for the first time! How fun! Most of the kids there had never
seen white people- or as they affectionately call us "AZUNGU"! It was
an awkward experience at first but but now they know us and are stoked
when we come. Most of the children in the village are pretty severly
malnourished with big bloated bellies. They are probably the poorest
people I have ever seen. They also have a drinking problem in th
village. Frackson, a Malawian who works with us said it one of the
saddest villages he's ever seen. Because there are enough parents there
COTN won't start a feeding program or a home there but will teach
parenting techniques. In fact, the widows from Mtsaliza will come to
Mgui (the village behind Njewa) and teach the women their skills to
create extra income! How exciting! We do regular programs with the
kids- games, songs, bible stories ext. and are in the planning stages
of implementing programs like parent ed. and substance abuse ed.! How
exciting! Keep them in your prayers!
Wed morning and Saturdays are our days off where we can do loads of
hand washed (horray) laundry, rest, go into town and do whatever. The
other widows girls and I end up running the store a lot during that
time.
I have been in pretty good health minus a little bacterial infection
that has now hit every American intern. It knocks you eight off your
butt hard. Buuuut God is good... so is cipro- the antibiotic that
saved us! Alas- I am good now and praying for good health!
We leave Saturday for another village about 2 hours away called
Chiwengo- we'll be there for a week. After that we go to Lake Malawi
for our mid summer retreat. So exciting! That means though no email
for two weeks- sorry friends!
I LOVE knowing you guys are all back home thinking about me and
praying for me! I love it here but I miss you guys! Thank you SO much
for your love and support! Keep the Malawians and the work here in
your prayers please! I'll try to email as much as possible it's just
such a process! Love you guys!
Amanda